Poem: "Ode to the Rebozo"

Written in the mid-20th century, in the aftermath of the Mexican Revolution, Gregorio de Gante's poem "Piropos al Rebozo" (Ode to the Rebozo) pays homage to the rebozo as a transcendent national symbol that 'covers' all Mexicans—not just los de abajo (those from below) but los de arriba (those from above) as well.

The poem praises the rebozo in the many settings and life stages in which it is used. Stanzas are numbered for easy reference to the Reader Notes that follow. 

Rebozo-Covered Women Kneeling in Vigil on the Threshold of a
Church on the Purhépecha Meseta, Michoacán
Photo: Reed

Ode to the Rebozo

Gregorio de Gante (1890-1975)

I

You well deserve, rebozo, that they 

Celebrate you with fleeting 

Outbursts, the rockets of my pleasure; 

You well deserve, rebozo, the caress 

Of the hands that are our delight; 

That the lips that kiss us 

May kiss you, 

in the crazy hours of the illusion; and

that the eyes that look at us
may look at you;
and that imprison,
Prisoners of love within your knot,
our affections remain, to burn you
with the eager fire of kisses
and the electric spark of embrace.

II

You well deserve, rebozo, 

That our distaff motherland spin your warp, 

That native poppies adorn you 

And that the notes of “La Marcha Zacatecas”

Or of the mestizo waltz “Above the Waves”

lull you, sweetly and bravely.

III 

You deserve to be spread over the imperial

mantle of my song ...

in the mundane you were 

what touched us to live; of such adversity, 

you rise up, flying, on the pole of my verse 

like a triumphant flag!

 IV

Rebozo without rival from Tenancingo

blue-black rebozo from Tulancingo; 

rebozo from Querétaro 

of the lasso to capture the brother; 

green rebozo of Santa María, 

that copies the color of the cactus 

and indigenous cornfields; 

Oaxaca rebozo, 

Fragrant with Tlacolula mescal; 

Mottled rebozo 

Dove or speckled like hail from 

Puebla, you remember the sweet potato 

and typical turkey mole; 

rebozo of linen or silk 

red like the flower of the hurdy-gurdy, 

you pass through a hollow ring, 

Mexican rebozo whose tips 

anoint feminine hips 

like the surface of an altar. 

V 

Beloved rebozo of my Homeland, 

you hold the comforting warmth 

of the tortilla and of the barbecue, 

you deserve that I sing to you a "corrido", 

or write a song of praise to you.

VI 

Because you are a discreet confidant

in the idyllic trances of my people; and 

in the romantic and beautiful hours 

of the declarations of love, 

you hide the blush of maidens, 

country girls, and you know many things 

about "I love you" and "I adore you", 

so much, that in the complicated figures 

of your fringes, sighs and glances 

remain entangled, 

kisses that are not given and 

words of love that are not spoken.

VII 

Because the childhood dreams of my race 

Have rocked in you, 

when as in a nest 

trembling with tenderness and joy, 

the women of my people 

wrap their offspring in a rebozo; 

tie its ends together with their skirt 

and continue happy in their tasks 

with their load of love upon their backs.

VIII 

Because you pass through fairs and markets 

Everyday rebozo, 

wanting to treasure the entire world; 

because you wipe away the desolate cries 

of hidden tribulations and 

you are the towel of the tears 

of humble, simple hearts; 

because made as a shroud, 

you cover the inert body of your owner 

who, in her last moments, 

dreamed of finding you in the Glory. 

What is your promised heaven, 

If not a black rebozo 

with twinkling stars?

IX 

Rebozo, who visits the ladies’ salons 

Among their fur coats and shawls; 

insurgent rebozo of bolita, that 

covers the love of "La Norteña" 

and of "La Valentina" and "La Adelita": 

popular rebozo that in festivals
forgets about sorrows and
you are, among the racket,
the pennant of pleasure
and the triumphant banner of joy,
you well deserve a Michoacán "mariachi",
an early rising “mañanitas”,
a sweet "valona" of the Bajío,
a feverish "huapango" from Veracruz
and a rousing "jarabe tapatío".

X 

You well deserve, rebozo, that in the bull ring,

Fired up like a furnace, 

where lights crossed above the chest 

of the China Poblana 

your style prevails, and 

you are toasted, between the gala chinampera 

with a jubilant diana, 

Zamora lino a pair of flags, 

Ponciano Díaz a rude estoconazo, 

and Rodolfo Gaona a gaonera, 

and The Toluco one mangana.

XI 

And because, in the trenches 

of liberation struggles, 

you became the healing dressing, 

merciful and pleasant, 

you are able to witness the entire story, 

where astonishing heroic valor: 

of the dark "insurgent" of Morelos, 

of the loyal "Chinaco" of Zaragoza, 

patriot without stain, 

Of the southern "cigar" of Zapata 

Of the "carranclán" of the Manco of Celaya and 

of the “soldiers” loyal to Pancho Villa. 

 XII

Because if it did not have 

an eagle on its shield, my flag 

may well deserve you, rebozo, to be taken 

as the symbol of my land, 

and between the green and red I would see you 

embracing a charro sombrero. 

XIII 

Rebozo, you are crib for the child, 

Pillow for the dream, 

screen for love, 

bond for affection, 

bandage for the wounded, 

banner, shroud and life, 

sorrow and joy. 

XIV 

National rebozo, only your shadow 

covers my Homeland. 

And in order to sing well to you 

and to praise you well, 

my Muse has turned on my tricolor 

ribbons, in dark braid, 

The beaver has dressed multicolor 

with the golds of the day 

and has crossed the indigenous heart 

with the blue rebozo of poetry.

 Reader Notes

I

Rockets are cohetes, widely used during fiestas throughout Mexico. In the countryside they are often used to call the faithful to early-morning mass and hence serve as the pueblo's alarm clock. Men who fire the rockets are known as coheteros.

II 

"La Marcha Zacateca" was composed by Genaro Codina (1852–1901), who was born and died in Zacatecas in the north of Mexico, where residents are famously skeptical of those from Central Mexico.

Mestizos: Children of indigenous and European parents.

"Above the Waves" (Sobre las olas) was composed in 1888 by Mexican composer Juventino Rosas Cadena; the "waves" refer to the Saus River in Santa Cruz, Guanajuato.

III

IV

Tenancingo, Tulancingo...in this stanza place names identify where rebozos are made, or places where significant events occurred during the Mexican Revolution.

The poet Gregorio de Gante was born in Puebla. Poblana is the adjectival form of Puebla, as in Chile Poblana.

V

Corridos emerged in the North of Mexico as popular songs about current events. Today narco-corridos are well-known and widely recognized. Marco, a modern singer of corridos, describes them like this:

"A corrido is the experience of a person or group, or the account of an event, recounted like a story, of pain, of desire, of tears, of injustices, of those who go to the United States and their experiences there. 

"The music makes the difference. If the basic instruments aren't used—the accordion is indispensable for achieving the norteño rhythm, the bass, the guitar and the drums—and
it is difficult to speak of a true corrido unless a distinctive accent is used to lengthen the words."

VI-VIII

IX: Heroines of the Mexican Revolution

Rebozo de bolita: Even cloistered nuns wore rebozos; in blue and white, they were called "de bolita" ("of little balls", perhaps in reference to tiny cotton balls allowed to remain in the thread). The rebozo de bolita was "born" in Santa María del Río (San Luis Potosí), whose reputation for weaving beautiful, delicate rebozos preceded the arrival of the Spanish by centuries.

La Norteña is a tiny pueblo in Chihuahua; more significantly, Norteña is a popular and distinctive style of Mexican music. See corrido, above.

La Valentina is a heroine of the Mexican Revolution, who fought at the side of the populist Pancho Villa.

La Adelita (Adela Velarde Pérez): Nurse and heroine of the Mexican Revolution, Adela persuaded other women join the side of the revolutionary (populist) forces; the widely acclaimed adelitas performed as soldiers, cooks, nurses and general helpers. They wore their rebozos crossed above their chests like bandoleers.

Michoacán Mariachi: Mariachi bands have a minimum of twelve musicians. Essential instruments are the guitar and two Spanish stringed instruments similar to guitars, the vihuela and the guitarrón. Mariachi bands also have violins and trumpets; at times, flute and harp are added. Mariachi bands play for a variety of Mexican occasions from weddings to funerals. The musicians dress in traditional charro suit (see below), distinguished by silver buttons sewn along the sides of their legs, and beautifully decorated sombreros.

Traditional Charro Suit
(Click to Enlarge)

Mañanitas: "Little mornings" is the name of the song sung as a serenade at birthdays; early morning prayers are also known as mañanitas.

Valona del Bajío: Regional music from Mexico's southern High Plains.

Huapango: Regional music from Veracruz on the Coast of the Gulf of Mexico.

Jarabe Tapatío: "Mexican Hat Dance"—performed by Mexico's "national couple", the China Poblana and the Charro—developed during Revolutionary times. The power of the dance as a symbol of national unity derives in part from its incorporation of famous regional dance styles. This "mixture" is called "Jarabe" (Arab, or mixture). Inspired by the regional music of Jalisco, Jesús González Rubio composed the music for the Jarabe Tapatío, whose inaugural performance was given in 1910 at the Coliseum Theater in Mexico City.

Mexico's "National Couple"—the China Poblana and the Charro—dance the "Jarabe Tapatío"

Charro:  As the sons of wealthy landowners (hacendados), charros have the financial resources required to maintain the horses necessary for mastery of the skills of horsemanship and rodeo; their sport, charrería, is Mexico's second national sport, after soccer. The distinctive charro suit is the same design as those from the Salamanca region of Spain; it is regarded as Mexico's "national dress".

X: Bull Fighters
  

China Poblana (China from Puebla): The name goes back to Colonial times, when a merchant ship from the Philippines called the "Náo de China" routinely docked in Acapulco and offered a textile called "castor". Wealthy women in Puebla bought the textile ("Poblana" is the adjective, as in Chile Poblano) to make skirts for their servant girls, who were known as "Chinas" or "Chinitas" (diminutive). The fabric wasn't long enough to reach the floor, so a piece was added at the waist, thus creating the distinctive style. With much time and effort, the Chinitas embroidered the "castor" onto their skirts, which today are made only in Puebla and Mexico City.

Chinampera: Man-made earthen islands called chinampas were constructed on the lakes in the Valley of Mexico to cultivate vegetables; today multitudes of flowers are grown on the only remaining chinampas at Xochimilco; in this context, however, the chinampera probably refers either to a move made by the bullfighter or to a breed of bull.

Diana is the name of a dance step in the Jarabe Tapatío; in this context, it is a piece of music played to celebrate a hard-won and well-earned victory. 

Lino Zamora: The name given to the bullfighter, who completes a specific move against the bull.

Una gaonera: A pass or movement invented by bullfighter Rodolfo Gaona.

Mangana: An event of the charrería, in which a charro catches a running mare by roping one of her back feet. 

XI: Heroes of the Mexican Revolution

Los dorados: Pancho Villa's soldiers were known as "los dorados", the golden ones.

Carranclán: Soldiers of Venustiano Carranza who fought under the leadership of General Álvaro Obregón.

Manco de Celaya: "The One-armed of Celaya" refers to General Álvaro Obregón, who lost his arm during the Battle of Celaya when the forces under his command decisively defeated Pancho Villa.

XI: Heroes of the War for Independence from Spain

'Insurgente' de Morelos: José María Morelos from Michoacán, hero of the War for Independence from Spain. Originally, the name of the capital of the state of Michoacán was Valladolid, but the name was later changed to Morelia in honor of the city's hero.

Chinaco fronteriza (frontier warrior): Ignacio Zaragoza was born in Texas in 1829, before Texas was annexed by the United States; Ignacio Zaragoza led the Mexican Militia to its victory over the French at the city of Puebla on May 5, 1862. Cinco de Mayo celebrations commemorate this Mexican victory.

XII

Charro's Sombrero: Beautifully decorated, today it is worn not only by charros but by musicians in Mariachi Bands and by dance groups performing the Mexican Hat Dance.

Charro Sombreros

XIII-XIV

Still Curious?

Piropos al Rebozo de Gregorio de Gante (Spanish original).

Adelita UTube Song with photos and film of the Mexican Revolution.

Huapango from Veracruz: Regional dance beautifully performed.

Mangana executed by charro Juan Cervantes, on foot.

Jenny's post: Cohetes (Firecrackers or Rockets).